Sunday December 30, 2007

(Boston Sunday Herald)

RALEIGH,NC- Tab Thacker, a little-known actor/wrestler who starred in two Police Academy films and other Hollywood movies, has died after several years of declining health, according to North Carolina State University. He was 45.

The 6-ft-4 Mr. Thacker who once tips the scales at a whopping 450lbs, got his first movie role when Clint Eastwood saw his photograph in Time magazine, and took note of Mr. Thacker's enomous frame.

Mr. Thacker was cast as a bouncer in the '30s-era "City Heat", then starred as an underdog football player who made the climatic ending play in 1986's "Wildcats" which also stars Goldie Hawn.

He also starred in two Police Academy movies. No mention of pending relatives given.

Never heard of him. Why is this guy's death noteworthy?

Just thought that some would like to know.

He was an Afro-American guy who kind of had small roles in some films. If you've ever seen the comedy movie Wildcats or some of the Police Academy movies and noticed a big burly overweight Afro-American guy in them, then that's him.

He's not very well known, but I've seen him in those films. His large size helped get him the roles he played, such as the role of the bouncer in City Heat.

I forgot who he was until the Police Academy & Wildcats movie were mentioned.

In Wildcats, he can be seen sitting on the bench at the football field eating a large cheesecake.

He attacked and punched Goldie's "husband" (James Keach - brother of Stacey Keach who was in Micky Spilane's Mike Hammer) in the face and knocked him out because the "husband" called him a fat ass and told him to mind his own business.

He also played a zany con artist in the movie, always trying to make bets with people on which team would win the game and anything else.

I think the character name he played in the film was Phillip Finch. Goldie put him in the final game as a last-minute replacement because he conned a teammate into banging his head on a locker door, knocking himself out.

He also embarrasses the coach on the opposing team by manhandling him, picking him up high over his head and throwng him into a pool of mud near the end of the film.

This was after the guy had boldly accused him of hiding pay-off money under his pants.

I don't know why anyone but this guy's family and friends would care. People die all the time. I'm sure there are plenty more fat people who can play 10-second parts in movies where they're seen eating a cheescake or whatever, so I don't think the motion picture industry has taken a big hit or anything.

All right, so that's YOUR opinion. Leave it for others to say how THEY feel, please.

I don't think I've suggested that anyone should feel prohibited from posting their opinion, nor have I suggested that what I posted was anything other than my opinion.

I'd be interested if anyone here could honestly say "Tad Thacker is dead!? Oh my gawd, I loved him in that movie where he ate a cheesecake, I've been a fan ever since. No one plays a fat cheesecake eater better than Tad Thacker did. I'm going to go light a candle."

So are we going to see re-runs of all the Tad Thacker movies like we do when real actors die?

You can go buy the movies that he's in, if you're THAT interested enough. I already got em'.

regardless, my hat comes off to the man. At least people who dont know him personally are speaking of him after his death.

Thank you. No one wants anyone to die, but sadly and tragically, it was his time. Even if he wasn't that well-known, he STILL was a human being.

No one has disputed whether he was a human being either.

The thing is, about ten "human beings" die every minute just in the U.S. That's what? Maybe 200 deaths since you started this thread? But this is the only thread about a death.

And why does this particular human being's death deserve its own thread and not the other 200 plus people who've hit room temperature just in the last few hours? Because you could see him eating cheesecake in a lame-ass movie for ten seconds?

I'm not bad-mouthing Thacker - I have no reason to believe he didn't live an honorable and productive life - but I'm curious why you felt the need to start a thread about him and not the other 59 people who died during the same hour Thacker did? Why is his death any more sad or tragic than the others?

We have seen him, know who he is, even if he was a cake eating fatty. We wont know everyone that dies every hour, but the ones that we did know, we can pay honorable mention to them, being that we KNEW of them. Shit, when I die, I would like a thread for myself. I will make sure I make one for you Rasczak and Daquan13

If I knew that someone else famous had died within that hour, yes, I'd more than likely start a thread on their death as well.

Not for nothing, but why must you make everything sound so political? The guy passed away, sadly. I thought that someone else might know him or might have seen him before on the big screen. He should be respected just like any other star who has died in the past. End of story.

I found some more info on Thacker. That he had to have a foot amputated due to diabetes and shortly before he died, both his legs were also amputated.

He is survived by his wife Sharon and two children.

I strongly suspect that it was his enormous weight that eventually did him in. His death more than likely came as a result of complications from diabetes. So it more than likely runs in his family. Like with mine. Poor guy!!

His face appears on the front cover of the Wildcats VHS box. He more than likely ate only PART of the cheescake to show in the film that he was an overweight boy who loved to eat.

He was only in his early or mid 20's when he did that movie! He DID look like an older person because of his size.

Where did you first hear about his death? What news or media outlet?

In this past Sunday's issue of the Boston Sunday Herald.

And yes, as I thought, his death resulted from complications of diabetes. So he must has eaten very unhealthy. Just like one of my brothers did before HE died from the same thing!

In addition to Goldie Hawn, Wesley Snipes, Nipsey Russell, LLCoolJ and James Keach also appeared in with Thacker in Wildcats.

I just watched the movie in rememberence of him. In Wildcats and City Heat, he used his weight, size and his mean & nasty looks to scare and intimidate people who tried to go up against him. He WAS one big boy!!

To see a pic of Tab Thacker, go here; http://www.gopack.com/ViewArticle.db...ATCLID=1356588
.

I Googled his name yesterday and this is what I found.

The page might not show up. In this case, just type his name in the sear bar, click on search and look for the news of his death. The page will them show up with a picture of him on it.


There's also a short clip oh him dancing in a gym room in one of his Police Academy movies on Youtube.

Hi Daquan..

I see his death is linked to diabetes..how alarming ey? that forum I told you about..a young woman of 29, passes away leaving two beautiful young girls,,she was type 1 diabetes since she was a year old. My heart broke when I read this as I visited her blog. I am guessing this young man was also type 1. This is why its important to keep those numbers down, once you begin insulin..I have just always felt your life can be easily shortened when you become insulin dependent. Your pancreas eventually will not c-operate with the insulin and use it properly, thus shutting down all organs. Well on that note..stay healthy..

Sherri

Yes, he DID have diabetes and he DID have too much sugar.

Poor guy!!! I liked him a lot. He was quite a funny jolly guy in the few movies that featured him!!

I read earlier this year, that his parents also, are or were obese as is his three children. Wonder if any of them look like him at all. I heard that he was a big ole jolly teddy bear and loved everybody.

He kind of reminds me a lot of my brother who also died from the same thing, only he was an alcoholic as well!

Here is his pic as my avatar.